The decisions of the controversial government imposed on Balochistan have turned the people’s lives into an open prison. Basic facilities such as internet and mobile networks were already cut off, and now travel restrictions, the forced closure of banks and markets have paralysed daily life. Ordinary people are left longing for fundamental rights such as bread, healthcare and employment, while the political faces of the ruling elite, instead of acknowledging the ground reality, remain busy weaving nothing more than a decorative narrative in the media.
The disputed Chief Minister repeats claims of peace and development at Independence Day celebrations, yet in practice, major highways are sealed off under the pretext of security concerns. The Coastal Highway, the Quetta–Karachi route, and the land and rail links connecting Balochistan to Punjab have all been unofficially cut off. This siege has effectively isolated Balochistan from the rest of the country.
The formula of suppressing resistance by shutting down the internet has failed miserably. In recent weeks, an attack on a military camp in Besima, in Washuk district of Rakhshan Division, left nine personnel, including a captain, dead – and such attacks continue across different areas.
People may be kept hungry, unemployed and besieged while Independence Day flags are hoisted, but neither will the freedom movement end nor will conditions for investment be created. These policies will only deepen the wounds of ordinary people. By repeating the same historical mistakes, the powerful institutions may succeed in carving out a temporary narrative, but the authority to change the ground reality is not in their hands.